1 As president, Andrew Jackson fought for what he thought was right. We may not agree with what he did, but back then, he thought he was doing the best for the country. One issue he had a strong opinion about was Native Americans and the land that they lived on.2 It was early in the country's history. Many Native American nations lived in the southeastern part of the United States. They wanted in live in peace with the white people. But the white people wanted the land. It was good land and white settlers could grow a lot of cotton on it.3 Jackson talked the government into giving land west of the Mississippi River to the Native Americans. Jackson thought that this would work for both sides. The white settlers would get the land they wanted. Native Americans would not be attacked and killed for the land.4 But most of the Native Americans did not want to move. Many tribes had changed to try to survive with the white settlers. It was hard for many of the nations to change, but they still did their best. The Cherokee had set up a legal system and a government. They had used ideas from their own beliefs and from European ideas.5 Most nations had reasons for why they thought the United States could not take their land. Some had signed treaties. Others, like the Choctaw, had fought with the United States during the War of 1812. They thought that this meant their land should not be taken away from them.